THE 750 UPGRadE

By Margreth Van Aartsen, Member #4496

UPGRADING FROM A 700GS TO A 750GS – WAS IT WORTH IT?

From the perspective of a vertically challenged female rider.

The Editors have asked me to give a write up on my impressions of the new 750GS, as I have recently upgraded from a 700GS. Having been a pillion rider for most of my adult life, I have come into motorbike riding well into my 30’s. Though I am sure there are many females out there who are all over torque and revs and other things technical, I am not. This review will therefore be purely based on personal user experience.

Before we do, I’ll tell you a bit more about myself. My motorbike exposure during my childhood years was limited to some school friends who owned bikes. In South Africa you were legally allowed on a 50cc bike or scooter at age 16 years. Those who owned these prized items were the envy of all, as they were not only deemed to be very ‘cool’ but it also gave them a means of freedom going around town. This was also my first time ever attempting to ride a bike. As you do at age 16, you get together with a bunch of friends and go hang out in a back street while the boys with bikes try to do fancy tricks and give us non-bikers a go at riding.

I was game, hopped on, was given basic instructions and off I went. Didn’t get out of first gear by the time I hit the end of the road, but with new-born confidence I turned it around and I was adamant to master gear shifting on the way back to the group (who were cheering in support).

I fixed my eyes on the road, pulled away, dropped the clutch and up came the front wheel. I am sure it was only a few millimetres off the ground but it was enough to scare the hell out of me. As I had absolutely no idea what I was doing I magically managed to put it down and come to a safe stop without stacking. I was only halfway back up the road but too scared to go again, walking away without managing the gear shift.

Fast forward a few years when I met Nic (my now husband). Motorbikes have always been a feature in his family and it wasn’t long before my love for riding was reborn, albeit as a pillion.

So, how did I eventually get my own licence? Long story short – in 2014 Nic and I went on a South America trip with Compass Expeditions. A week before our departure I made an off-hand comment to Nic, saying: “you know what, maybe I should learn to ride myself when we come back from this”.

We didn’t really talk about it again but two weeks after our return (from what was an amazing holiday, which hooked us on long distance motorbike touring!), Nic popped me in the car and drove me to the bike dealership. He had done all the research and selected a few options deemed great beginners’ bikes. Home we went with a KTM Duke390 and the rest is history.

So, yes. I have not been riding all that long and am by no means a riding expert. I see myself as a cautious female rider but like to challenge my own limits. Though I mostly stick to bitumen, I enjoy going on the dirt roads off the beaten track and therefore I very much enjoy the BMW F700 series, as it is perfectly suited for what I like to get out of riding on a very reliable machine.

This finally brings me to the real reason for this write up. Recently I upgraded from a 2016 F700GS to the new 750GS, and yes it was worth it!

The 750GS feels like a completely different bike on the road. I have about 1500km on the clock now. This has been made up by short day rides, a weekend away to Bargara (with short stints on gravel roads) and some city commuting, a good mix of riding to get an overall impression of the bike’s performance.

One of the biggest differences for me to get used to is the different height and weight distribution, with the 750GS having a higher centre of gravity. This feels somewhat exaggerated for me in comparison, as I had a lowered suspension, low seat 700GS (seat height 765mm) and now have bravely gone for a standard suspension with a low seat (seat height 790mm). This extra height is definitely noticeable and has brought me from flat-footed with a bent knee, to the balls of my feet. The bike is about 18kg heavier than the 700GS (kerb weight 227kg vs 209kg).

On the 700GS, with its fuel tank at the back and being so low to the ground, I hardly knew the panniers were there, even heavily loaded (side panniers only, no top box). Loaded with a full set of panniers (now with top box), the extra height and higher centre of gravity certainly freaked me out on the first trip with the 750GS, especially noticeable on sharp turns and hill stops.

27 gained a much smoother ride. The suspension is great and especially on gravel roads there is none of the 700’s clunky-rattling and especially with the lowered version the suspension was quite hard. I now also have better ground clearance with less rocks smashing hard up against my bash-plate.

The cruise control is pretty awesome on the long stretches, which is nice to give your throttle hand a rest on those long straight roads.

I had done a lot of reading about the new 750GS prior to my purchase, and on the advice of many reviews I have fitted the 850GS 390mm adjustable windscreen – and boy is it worth it. If you do nothing else to your new 750GS, get this screen. It’s well known that the factory fitted piece of plastic on the front might just as well not be there. I retrofitted a 400mm Cee Bailey screen on my 700GS, which was a big improvement from the factory standard shield. As with most things BMW though, paying for the real thing is worth it and more. The aerodynamics of this new screen are so much better and the improvement was one of the first things I noticed – having a lot less wind hitting me, staying a lot drier in the rain and almost 50% less wind noise in my helmet.

Other nice-to-haves with this new edition is the stuff that most reviews rave on about. The TFT screen is beautiful. The scroller wheel makes it very easy to navigate through all the information (of which there is plenty for those who are interested in all the technical data). With the Bluetooth connection it’s also very easy to stop and start playback of music on your headset with the scroller wheel, which is certainly a function I enjoy, not having to fiddle with buttons on the headset itself or on the phone. What else is different? The engine is noisier, especially at idle (I have not fitted the Akrapovic exhaust). The engine likes higher revs at low speed and you need to be a bit more aggressive with the throttle pulling away, otherwise it’s a sluggish take off. This will no doubt be a non-issue for the men folk, but for me, I feel like I need to get my rev-head on.

I have not yet used the quickshifter much. At this point I have to make a conscious effort to use it, as using the clutch lever comes habitually. I have

NOVEMBER 2020 noticed a slight feedback on the clutch lever which feels a bit odd, but this seems to be ‘normal’. When I have used the quickshift it worked smoothly, as long as you are mid-range in revs.

All-and-all, I am very happy with my upgrade and know I will get many happy kilometres on this bike. The bike balances well and riding standing up is comfortable, even at higher speeds (especially with the new windscreen). The bike is nimble and easily manoeuvrable at low speed, making for a fun breakfast ride and easy city commute. The low seat is actually quite comfortable and with the better suspension, cruise control and additional luggage capacity, I can’t wait for our next long-distance trip.

Editors: Margreth is a very modest person as she handled a 700GS on our tour with Compass Expeditions to the top of Alaska at Prudhoe Bay like a Pro - no issues at all and she was an inspiration in her calm and consistent riding style.